Echos of the Past : Clans in Ruin
by Fallingfrost
Summary: Generations have passed since all half-clan cats have been banished from the lake, and dark times have passed over the four rival clans. As they struggle to raise new generations in the territory they have claimed for themselves, more trouble brews on the wind that will shake both clans to the core. All of them must unravel plots that threatens their futures.
1. Chapter 1

~Silverfeather~

Silverfeather dropped the rosemary on the pale ginger she-cat's pelt, cold and still with no breath. Closing her pale blue eyes in despair the white and silver tabby stepped away from the corpse. So much death, first Brownclaw and now Redfoot with two of her kits. The remaining kits mewled in the nursery, motherless for now with no nursing queen expect Rosepool. Her kits were nearly apprentices, but that made no difference.

A sand brown speckled tom with blue eyes padded over to the sleek medicine cat, his fur bristling with worry. They had lost Ashpaw's parents to a rouge attack, and Frozenkit's father to a roaming dog several moons before that. He was right to be worried. Silverfeather watched warily as he approached, already knowing what the broad-shouldered tom was about to utter.

"Have the Ancestors talked to you? I knew Starclan always kept silent on matters like this and the like, but I hoped that the Pathway of Endless Stars would be more open these pass seasons." He huffed bitterly as he gently placed his nose on the still cold body before raising his head. Sandstar winced before glancing around the camp. Few cats lingered around, most watching the medicine cat prepare the body with wide eyes if they were younger cats; and older cats gazing at the ginger's pelt with sadness and pity. Most of the muzzles were damp with tears.

Silverfeather pawed at the ground with a claw, doodling in the white dust. "They have been silent." She confirmed, voice husky with sorrow. Howling a sudden breeze picked up, swirling the thick white flakes that covered the ground. Her ears flattened against her skull to block some of the bitter cold and she sneezed. Sandstar sighed with a heave of his shoulders before trotting away, his tail dragging in the snow.

Snow bit at her paws crueler than any teeth could, as she circled the camp to check on each of the dens. Owlkit peeked out of the nursery before a cream paw dragged her back into the den with a husky scolding mew. Silverfeather had to smile at that. The warriors den was warm enough it seemed, cats huddled together whispering. In the far back, a black long furred tom groomed his silver tabby mate who purred loud enough for Silverfeather to hear it at the entrance.

At least there would be more kits in the warm moons, hopefully. Spring always brought new kits, and new life of all forms. That would hopefully be more encouraging than this winter slush, and the Ancestors would be less silent in Silverfeather's ears. Yet this was only a moon into the winter months and already it was difficult to survive. Prey was scarce, but they had the river before it froze up.

Hopefully it will be a good long while before that happens. She thought softly as she flattened her ears to her skull as she treaded to the elder's fallen tree of a den. Slipping softly into the sycamore, Silverfeather winced at the brittle moss under her paws. A golden long-haired tabby with white paws curled her thick body around a tom with golden brown tabby stripes. The she-cat raised her head off her paws with a yawn, showing yellowed teeth broken from use. Putting a heavy paw over his muzzle the tom let out a hiss as she breathed into his face.

"Honeysoul, your breath stinks." He growled as Honeysoul let out a rusty purr. His voice was low and gravelly, raspy with disuse. "I have no idea what mother was thinking when she named you." Silverfeather flicked her tail as the two began to bicker, as only old littermates could. A large plump brown tabby with a white streak on her nose popped her head up behind the littermates, ear swiveling as the newcomer approached.

"Silverfeather, sweetheart do you need something?" Cloverleg mewed as she shifted onto her paws with a grunt. "Ignore them, being cooped up makes them fight more than normal." The tabby winked slyly as she stepped around them before touching noses with the medicine cat. Silverfeather let out a inward sigh of relief as the nose was warm, not scorching with fever.

"Just checking up on you all." Silverfeather began before Cloverleg let out an angry hiss, turning to the squabbling cats. "Stop it the both of you!" Cloverleg hissed flicking her right ear toward the sleeping bundle of mottled gold fur farther back in the den. "Cornpelt is sleeping." The two littermates glared at Cloverleg for a heartbeat before curling back into large fuzzy balls of fur.

"How is her breathing?" Silverfeather asked her silver ears swiveling to pick up on the sounds of the old cat's lungs. There was only a faint rasping, like the whispers of leaves on the trees. Cloverleg shook her head with relief. "Better, Cornpelt will make it. Takes more than the sniffles to get that old ball of scuff down." Cloverleg turned and gazed fondly at the mottled cat, who slept on unaware. Cornpelt snuffled in her sleep before wrapping her tail over her nose.

"Good, I can always count on you." Silverfeather mewed benevolently as the tabby placed a lick on her forehead. Cloverleg's amber eyes fixed on the medicine cat with the same anxious expression that Sandstar had given, her gaze drifting around the den as her paws shuffled over each other.

Silverfeather rolled her eyes. "If you have something to say, just say it. I won't take it personally." Silverfeather had heard it all before, Slateclan's medicine cat ,Flamepelt, wasn't the most humble of toms unlike his apprentice, Berryflash. This was Silverfeather's first winter as sole medicine cat since Swirlingbreeze had died. The whole clan missed that optimistic tortieshell tom with his jokes and playful banter. This clan wouldn't let her forget it, she thought with a snort.

"Why don't we have a medicine cat apprentice?" Cloverleg implored, her eyes focused on everything but the medicine cat. Suddenly it felt longer since Swirlingbreeze's death, longer than the two seasons it had been. Silverfeather flattened her ears against her skull. "Stateclan has three, and all of them are full medicine cats." Inwardly Silverfeather sighed as a sudden cold breeze lashed into the den, making Cloverleg blink against the cold. "That many paws make light work. We're just concerned that with only you, Silverfeather, that you might not be able to keep up with all the duties that's required of you." Cloverleg concluded. "You are the youngest medicine cat we have had so far to become the full medicine cat."

Silverfeather flicked her tail angerly across the brittle floor, and let out an angry breath. She only hoped she could keep the hiss out of her voice. "Fallowfern retired, so she's an elder. That leaves Flamepelt and Berryflash. Besides, Berryflash does most of the work for Slateclan anyway." Bitterness rose in her throat, acid and vile. "I am more than capable of keeping up with my workload." Silverfeather concluded before turning heel and padding out into the snow.

~Berryflash~

He gritted his teeth around the hare, padding through the thick snow that stung his paws. Days like this I'm glad I'm a long furred cat. Berryflash thought with an amused purr as the sweet scent of the hare drifted into his nostrils tantalizingly. Waking up on this cold morning, Flamepelt was gone and unease settled in Berryflash's belly. The senior medicine cat's nest was cold and the scent was stale. That had been more recent as of late, Berryflash realized with a flash of annoyance.

As he slipped into the nursery, a brown she-cat with grey stripes rose her head before returning it to her paws, tightening her tail around her white kit with silver dapples. Littlemouse had lost her mate a few moons ago in a fight with a badger, and whispers in the clan said that the brash white tom had gone to provoke it on purpose. Blizzardtooth had always been that sort of tom.

Berryflash wove around the sleeping she-cats carefully as not to wake the kits. He picked his way in the back of the den, where a white she-cat wrapped her body around two sleeping bundles. Gently he placed the brown hare at the edge of her nest before tapping on her shoulder with a broad paw. She startled awake, green eyes wide with confusion as she yawned. A cream-colored ear flicked at the medicine cat with a purr in greeting.

"Morning, Berryflash. Cold enough for you?" Lilyfur implored as she shifted onto her side, her bushy tail drifting over her white furred son. They had been born a few days ago, and their eyes and ears were still sealed shut. A dark brown tabby tom with darker brown stripes squirmed against his snow-white littermate, and the odd thing was both of them had a thick black stripe that went down their spines.

"It's warm enough for thick furred cats like us." He teased with a voice as light as rain. "Even a bit to warm if you ask me." Lilyfur blinked appreciatively. She laughed, lowering her voice as Littlemouse shot her a scathing glare. Guiltily she smiled at Berryflash. The tabby kit let out an angry mewl as he detached himself from his mother's belly, little claws digging in her thick fur.

"I'm glad to see you!" She purred. "Noone's really came to visit me yet." Berryflash had to keep himself from wincing. Lilyfur's mate hadn't visited the nursery yet, not even to see the new kits. Whoever that was. The nursery was bustling with more litters than normal for this season, and very few of them had died in the cold. The Ancestors were kind to Slateclan this winter.

"They have names now." Lilyfur began. Berryflash nudged the white tom with a broad paw. "Is that so?" He raised an imaginary eyebrow with a chuckle. "I imagined they would name themselves." Lilyfur snorted with amusement as she placed her tail tip on the tabby tom. "His name is Forestkit. I've always liked that name." Berryflash nodded fondly at the kit. Lilyfur nudged both of them closer to her with her paw.

"The white one is Nightkit for his black stripe." Berryflash blinked in confusion. "That's an odd name for a white kit." He joked, " but I imagine his warrior name will be Nightstripe." Lilyfur let out a sigh, her white fur bushing out in amusement. "Don't you have somewhere to be, little brother?" She chuckled. " Like doing your job instead of criticizing my son's names?"

Berryflash said goodbye as he left his older sister. Littlemouse shot Lilyfur a glare as the medicine cat walked out of the den. Forestkit and Nightkit. They'll be good warriors, I'll make sure of it. I'll have to ask Tunnelstar what their warrior names might be, maybe after our parents. Forestwing? Nightsnow? Forestclaw or Nightstalker sounds cool. Those are names to be feared. Berryflash shook white flurries from his pelt as he padded into the medicine cat tunnel.

The white flakes melted into water droplets in the warmth of the den, and he lapped at the moisture. Thumping farther down into the tunnel, Flamepelt's scent was strong. Flamepelt sat on his haunches, throwing his head back in laughter as a tortishell she-cat curled her black tail over her paws. Berryflash let out a snort, noticing a small pile of berries sitting at the paws of the ginger medicine cat.

Good, he's been working. Its bad I ever doubted him. Guilt washed over the apprentice as both cats turned their heads toward him. "I've been sorting berries if you can't tell and I asked Marigoldeye to help. Visiting your sister again?" Flamepelt said with a almost accusatory tone as he narrowed his eyes. A smug smile sat on his jaws as Marigoldeye plucked at a wrinkled juniper berry with a claw.

"I made sure the queens were alright, Flamepelt. We don't want to lose more kits." Berryflash reasoned, his amber tabby ears flattening onto his skull. Marigoldeye narrowed her eyes at the apprentice's tone. Berryflash flicked his tail side to side calmly before speaking again. "Tunnelstar asked me to check on Lilyfur everyday, besides one of those kits might end up being apprenticed to us." He concluded as he sat down to wash off his fur.

"You know you have to actually put in effort to be a medicine cat right?" Marigoldeye snorted as she rose to her paws. "Not like Flamepelt, who doesn't. He's the good medicine cat." Her yellow eyes glanced at Flamepelt before she padded out into the snow. " He doesn't run off with awful excuses, Berryflash. You need to think of your clan! Clan before kin." She snapped before disappearing into the snow.

Flamepelt nodded eagerly at what she said, lapping at a stray tuft of fur on his shoulder. "Any kit that becomes an apprentice become an apprentice to me, not you. I'm the senior medicine cat." He crowed proudly. Flamepelt rose to his paws before he brushed past his apprentice, his tail flicking Berryflash's muzzle abrasively. "So don't forget that." Berryflash glanced down at his paws, anxiety worming into his belly. His white claws dug into the sandy soil of the den.

Flamepelt become more berating lately, and truthfully Berryflash could hardly stand to be around him more than a few heartbeats. Remembering when he had been first made the apprentice of him and Fallowfern, they had both been kind. Fallowfern would take him on long walks through their pine forest and moor, and if he ever guessed an herb wrong, the kind and gentle she-cat would laugh and just say 'not quite. You're a berry and you don't know your own kin?' Then she would laugh.

His mentor disappeared out into the snow with a huff, calling out over his shoulder. "You need to remember who the senior medicine cat is here, Berryflash." Flamepelt said in a scathing tone, filled with condescension.

Since Fallowfern had retired that summer, Flamepelt had been more arrogant than usual. That was hard to do anyway, since he had already been kind of a jerk already. Yet he had been tolerable then, and since she had moved to the elder's den it had gotten worse. The ginger tabby with brown stripes strutted around the clan like he was the leader. He was the senior medicine cat and demanded to be treated as such by Berryflash.

Berryflash could only roll his eyes as he glanced over the pile of juniper berries, tiliting his head in confusion. They hadn't been sorted at all! More like they had been hastily pulled out of the holes in the walls that Berryflash had dug to keep herbs in. He sighed as he sorted them into two piles, the wrinkled pile larger than the other. For a cat that went berry picking most of the autumn he didn't back as many berries as I saw on those bushes. They were measly piles and with a ginger paw he scooped them into two separate holes in the walls. Things had to get better, because Berryflash couldn't stand much more of this.

~Lilacleaf~

Lilacleaf closed her amber eyes, burying her nose in the bloody fur that was stained with dust. She jerked her head to the entrance of the medicine cat den, eyes focusing on the leader. Thistlestar met her gaze evenly, not blinking at her over the corpses of the apprentice that lay on the sandy floor of the medicine cat den.

"He's dead, Thistlestar." He didn't flinch at the ice in her tone. "I can't heal death." Her eyes narrowed. A slight breeze blew through the medicine cat, almost as cold as the tension between the medicine cat and the leader, making the still body almost seem as if it was breathing. Slowpaw's pelt was marked up with half healed scars, some so fresh that the ointment she had carefully applied a few days ago hadn't cracked with age. The apprentice's cream and brown fur was matted with iron smelling blood, and his eyes were now shut as Lilacleaf slid them closed. His yellow eyes would never open again.

"I told you to do all that you could for him." Thistlestar snapped, his tone laced with annoyance. His thick grey and brown was dusty from the training area, and blood stained his claws. He unsheathed his claws as Lilacleaf narrowed her eyes at the tom. Slowpaw was his apprentice, even though every day Lilacleaf prayed to the Stars that an another apprentice wouldn't have been placed in his care.

How old had she been when her own mentor, Morningdew had told her of Thistlestar's first apprentice dieing by mysterious causes? Training with brutal methods with apprentices hardly out of the nursery, even back then. Slowpaw had joined Thistlestar's body count far too soon. Things had been getting worse, even if Lilacleaf was the only one to admit it.

Slowpaw had been so eager to train under the leader, while the rest of the clan seemed nervous and anxious at the announcement. All of them had been at the time, and Lilacleaf could remember the horror on Vinenose's face at the meeting. Her littlest kit was being sent to slaughter, and her sweet, tiny, Slowpaw would be trained under Thistlestar, and Slowpaw would be pushed to his limits. Lilacleaf had hoped that Slowpaw would live long enough to earn his warrior name, and prove the clan wrong. With a nursery bustling with kits, Lilacleaf could only hope she could spare them the same fate as Slowpaw.

"Then what good are you?" Lilacleaf's head was spinning as she found her muzzle pushed into the dirt by a weighty paw. She gritted her teeth against the stinging sensation of his claw mark across her face, it dipped from underneath her right eyes across her muzzle and then ended on her left cheek. Thistlestar may have gotten angry, but never enough to hit her with claws unsheathed.

"You are hardly worth the prey we feed you if you can't keep a simple apprentice alive!" She could feel blood welling up in the mark, and it slowly dampened the ground with soft plops. The heavy weight of Thistlestar's constant pressure to her skull had her struggling to breath, and with a gasp he suddenly let her up. Thistlestar took a step away from the medine cat. The whole ordeal had taken less than a few heartbeats.

"Morningdew would have been ashamed to find out that she had wasted all of her talent on you." He stated, his gaze level with hers. Lilacleaf met his gaze, ignoring the throbbing of the wound across her muzzle. There was no remorse there, no apology, only cruel fire in his gaze. "Honestly, Lilacleaf, why did you become a medicine cat in the first place?" He snapped, his voice low with spite.

 _Because you forced me into it,_ Lilacleaf inwardly replied, _to raise your standing in the clan. So you could pressure me into faking signs that you should become leader. All I wanted was your approval then, now I'm not so naïve to your ways._

Thistlestar's spine bristled with anger, as he waited for a reply. Lilacleaf simply blinked at him, before turning away to sort through her herb store. "I'll prepare the body for burial." _Then confirm Vinenose's fears and break it to his littermates, you monster. Three deaths in the last two moons, all at your paws, Thistlestar. How many more of us have to have die for you?_

Battles had filled the past moons with more blood than Ruinclan had seen in seasons, and the clan was suffering greatly for it. Hopefully, the chill and snow would keep Thistlestar's blood-hunger at bay till the summer moons.

"See that this failure doesn't happen again, _daughter._ " Thistlestar growled, turning his tail and disappearing out into the camp. Lilacleaf gave a flick of her tail to show that she heard, swiveling her ears behind her to hear the soft thump of his paws in the snow.

She found her paws making the herbs for scratches mindlessly, and hardly felt it when it touched her chilly fur as a bandage over the new mark on her face. _I wish I had your strength, Morningdew. I wish I could keep him in check._

 _You're probably going to hold prey from me again, to make this lesson stick._ Lilacleaf gathered up what few twigs of lavender was left. She began to begin the death rites, smoothing the fur over the scars and wounds. Blood was slowly cleaned off the cream and brown pelt, and a few petals were spread over the body to hide the scent of blood and death.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save you." Lilacleaf whispered as she rose to her paws. After a few heartbeats, she realized all that Slowpaw would miss out on as a warrior. Scratching the Clawstone to prove that he finished his apprenticeship, taking a mate, raising a litter of nosey kits, teaching an apprentice the ways of the warrior code, and filling the heads of apprentices with stories of grandur from his younger days as an elder.

Slowpaw seemed almost peaceful, his eyes closed and the tenseness in his muscles was lax. "You deserved better than this. Hopefully the Stars will give your warrior name." Lilacleaf sighed, her shoulders slumping. Chill was creeping into the den, and she shivered.

 _Ruinclan can't keep living like this. Even the kits are afraid to act like kits. They don't know the safety a camp should provide, and most of them would prefer to become rouges at this point, but most of them are afraid to leave._

Sleep came fitfully to the medicine cat, and she only stirred when the warriors came to take the body away for burial. _Thank you,_ the wind seemed to whisper. Vinenose blinked in the darkness of the den, her eyes blurry. Dipped her head in respect to Lilacleaf, and grabbed her son's scruff to haul him out of the den. Dogpaw and Snailpaw stood behind their mother, their eyes hollow and blank. Those eyes haunted Lilacleaf's sleep as she soon fell back into slumber. No cats came to her in her dreams and for that she was grateful.

Sunlight filtered into entrance of the den weakly, and she rolled over onto her back only to blink open her eyes in shock. A canary laid near her muzzle with the scent of Dragonpaw's distinctive ashy smell. Lilacleaf smiled, the pulp shedding off her scratch in flakes. _There is still good in this clan, thank the Stars for that, and there are still cats who are willing to take risks against Thistlestar. How far are they willing to go?_

~Shaleshine~

"Shaleshine!" The voice echoed in her ears, and the dark grey swirled she-cat rose to her paws drowsily. Iron scent flooded her den, and beside her, Wadingpaw stirred beside his fellow apprentice. His paws scrabbled on the pine needle lining of his nest.

Shaleshine was the second medicine cat apprentice of Pastclan, her mentor being the level-headed Bugwhisker. She blinked her yellow eyes in the darkness, only to see the faint outline of Galeclaw the deputy. He had left with their leader and medicine cat to seek answers from the Stars, to se if there was an end to the famine and blizzard that plagued all of the clans this winter. His voice was low, and honey-sweet even now. Galeclaw had been a popular choice after the deputy before him had died. "What is it? Did the Stars say when the famine will end?" Hope was evident in her voice, even in her sleepy state.

" We never got to ask them," Galeclaw's amber eyes were grim, "There was a fox attack on the way to Starwater. Bugwhisker and Mothstar are both dead." Galeclaw whispered. Blood streaked over his white pelt. "I'm sorry. I tried to fight it off but it was too strong." Fear lacing underneath Shaleshine's pelt she bolted out of the den, her paws barely skimming the frosty pine needles in the hollow. Suddenly she had a face full of blood-soaked needles, and panic rose into her belly. _It can't be true! Bugwhisker was supposed to give Wadingpaw his medicine cat name tomorrow!_ Shaleshine imagined telling Wadingpaw in the morning and shuddered as she rose unsteadily to her paws.

Galeclaw had laid her mentor and Mothstar in front of the medicine cat den, blood pooling into the snow-covered grass around them. Dark red bled onto the pure snow around the elderly she-cat's body, staining it crimson. Mothstar's spotted brown pelt had tufts of fur missing, and her yellow eyes were wide with fear. Beside her Bugwhisker's throat had been torn open by the fox, so deep she could see the white bone.

Shaleshine was rooted to her spot, as Galeclaw sat behind the bodies. "Mothstar was strong! How did this happen?" Shaleshine's voice had rose to a wail, but she didn't care who woke in the camp. Mothstar had a few deep cuts that littered her body, and her one ear had been torn down to the skull. Clumps of brown fur were torn free brutally, and the blood from them had drizzled from the entrance of camp.

"Mothstar was strong," Galeclaw wrapped his tail comfortingly around Shaleshine's shoulders, his eyes glittering. Shaleshine noticed that he had a few cuts as well, mostly around his throat and muscular neck. "No cat could have fought harder, but she was also elderly, Shaleshine. Mothstar drove it off the island with me, but not before it tore open Bugwhisker's throat." Shaleshine shivered.

"It was hiding by the Starwater entrance, by those juniper bushes that are by the logbridge." A few berry bushes lined the little island where the tunnel to Starwater hid. Starwater was a pool of water that glowed white at night, and the entrance to the sacred pool was a small cave in the middle of the smaller island where three rivers met for the first time in the territory. "Bugwhisker was searching to see if there happened to be any of the berries had been hiding underneath the snow. Before I knew it, the fox darted out of the bushes and ripped open his throat in a flash."

Shaleshine pictured the smooth cave and tunnel lined with glittering walls of black stone, the multicolored flecks of crystals blinking in the walls. The tunnel led down to a small cavern, and in the center of the cavern was a large water filled depression that reflected the lights that appeared. Shards of crystal stuck out of the water, and odd shaped rocks representing each medicine cat that had lived in the clans and died, could be seen in the clear water. She would be given the honor of tossing the small, smooth brown pebble that Bugwhisker had chosen into the water.

"After the fox tried to cross the log bridge it fell into water and drifted down stream." Galeclaw growled. "I hope the cursed thing drowned." Bugwhisker's brown pelt was torn as well, but his blue eyes were peacefully closed as if he had accepted his fate. A grey stripe wrapped around the crown of his head. "Mothstar was right beside me on the end of the bridge, spitting curses and yowling at the fox with the fire of the Stars themselves, then suddenly she hunched over and moaned." Galeclaw ran his tail along Shaleshine's spine. It felt wet with matted blood, and Shaleshine tried to keep herself from vomiting. She could taste the burning sensation in her throat. Blood was lightly stuck to her face from where she had tripped over the bodies.

"I-I don't know what happened. Mothstar was fine and then she wasn't. She said something about pain and then passed out." Galeclaw glanced up at the sky, his amber eyes filled with unknown emotion. Her thoughts started to clear as the cold torn into the fragile skin of her paws. "We should probably tell the clan." The white tom began to lap at his pelt, his long claws kneading the ground.

"Then what?" Shaleshine realized that the shaking voice that asked had come from her. Inwardly she knew that she should be grateful that Bugwhisker insisted that the two apprentices not accompany them tonight. Wadingpaw and Shaleshine had been born around the same time, but Shaleshine had been born two days before the tom. Bugwhisker had given the dark grey she-cat her medicine cat name last moon, and would have been gifting Wadingpaw with his tomorrow night. The two medicine cats had decided on the final name for the tom yesterday. With sadness Shaleshine realized that the kind Bugwhisker would never get to see the blue-grey tom be excited at the name his mentor had chosen for him.

Galeclaw looked at her, and then back up to the sky. Darkness was fading into peachy sunshine and dove-grey as the sun began to steadily rise. "We can still go get my name right?" His amber eyes narrowed at Shaleshine, and she blinked. She hadn't expected to see such challenge in Galeclaw's eyes. _Different cats grieve in different ways. He just lost his mentor and our valued medicine cat._ She reminded herself.

"It would be unsafe for Pastclan if I remained with out my nine lives." Galeclaw concluded, his tail flicking side to side. He had a point. A clan without a leader was a disaster waiting to happen. The old tale of the leader who died without receiving their nine lives or appointing a deputy was a tale every cat knew by heart before leaving the nursery. "It leaves us vulnerable and open to attack! What if Echoclan or Ruinclan caught wind of Mothstar's passing before I visited Starwater?" Galeclaw rose to his paws, shaking each one to warm them up. Plunging past her, his tail brushed underneath her chin. Galeclaw disappeared into Mothstar's-wait Galeclaw's den that sat in the middle of the twisted roots of an ancient birch tree.

The silver and bark was littered with claw marks from the previous leaders, Paststar, Flowstar, Mothstar and now Galestar. Or at least it would be when Shaleshine took him to receive his name today. Dawn was steadily rising, and painting the snow tones of peach, butter, and lilac.

Shaleshine began to use snow to clean off Bugwhisker's body, using only fresh snow she hauled from tail-lengths away to wash to the blood from the corpse. It turned the snow pale salmon pink. Glancing over at the den, Galeclaw's pawprints had stained the white snow crimson, his paws and claws had been coated in the stuff.

"Cats of Pastclan!" Galeclaw swarmed up onto the bottom limb, gazing down on the clan. A few cats came out of the dens, a few of them letting out wails of grief as their gazes fell onto their fallen leader. "Our brave leader and wise medical cat have joined the Ancestors in the sky." Peach light turned Galeclaw's white and grey pelt shades of pale orange and yellow in the morning sun.

Galeclaw dug his claws into the silver bark. His voice was sugary sweet, and was laced with sorrow. Something prickled under Shaleshine's fur, something wasn't right. His yellow eyes glowed in the sun. Herringrunner had begun to groom Mothstar's fur, smoothing it out to cover the cuts and wounds. The elderly tom nodded at Shaleshine across the leader's corpse. "He looks as wise in death as she was in life. They both earned their places among the Stars, so don't worry." Herringrunner rasped, his tongue lapping over Mothstar's torn ear.

"Mothstar died from fox attack, and she fought like a burning star herself." Lynxtooth let out a yowl of anger, rising onto his back paws. "She gained vengeance for Bugwhisker, who died after the cursed beast tore out his throat." Galeclaw flicked his tail to silence the crowd. "I want a patrol to go down the river to see if the fox died once it hit the waterfall. Track it and Ruinclan will take its life to take revenge for what it took from us." He roared, eyes alight. "Who is willing to join me?" Yowls erupted around the clearing.

"Bugwhisker?" Shaleshine turned around, ears flattened against her skull. Wadingpaw stood in the entrance of the medicine cat den, his green eyes wide. He buried his nose in the short, snowflake covered fur beside her. Shaleshine realized how small he seemed against her, every rib could be felt in the tom's thick fur. Her own ribs knocked against his.

"I'll be going to the Starwater as soon as Mothstar and Bugwhisker are buried." Galeclaw soothed with his honeyed voice. A few cats murmured in agreement, glancing over at the corpses. "Mothstar was a brave, wise, and loyal leader and I say these words and I hope she approves of my choice. Lynxtooth will be my deputy!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. A popular choice.

Galeclaw dipped his head, his tail wrapping around his blood tinged paws. " I can only hope that I can lead Pastclan into greatness like Mothstar has." He murmured. "I will give every last breath to Pastclan just as she has done and those before me have done." Lynxtooth had padded to the bottom of the tree, sitting on the roots where the deputy sat. "Together with all of you, we can lead this clan to be the greatest clan in the forest!" His yellow eyes had fixated on a brown beautiful apprentice, his pink tongue licking around his jaws.

"Shaleshine." Wadingpaw began to clean the Bugwhisker's fur. Shaleshine tuned out the rest of the speech, and began to watch as cats crowded around the bodies. Galeclaw swarmed down the tree, and contined his speech about how wise Bugwhisker was, and how he had the patience to train two apprentices at one time. Blood dripped off the white tom, staining the ground with soft plops. Shaleshine buried her nose in Wadingpaw, breathing in his sweet scent that reminded her vaguely of juniper. _I'll make you proud Bugwhisker, we both will. I'll give Wadingpaw his full name, for the sight of the future that we both saw in him. The rough future we both will have in the coming moons. Wadingsight, I'm sorry that the first sight you had to see was Bugwhisker dead._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Echoclan

Sandstar- sandy colored broad shouldered tom with darker flecks, blue eyes

Deputy

Nightnose- black broad shouldered tom with white flash on his nose, amber eyes

Medicine cat

Silverfeather- white she-cat with silver tabby spots on her head, flank and tail, blue eyes

Warriors

Sunnystripe-pale ginger tabby tom with darker yellow stripes, amber eyes and two white front paws, apprentice Beepaw

Parsleytail- light brown tabby tom with a white tail, yellow eyes, mentor to Swanpaw

Mudrift- senior brown tom with white stripe down back, yellow eyes

Dustyclaw- light brown tabby she-cat with lighter stripes and yellow eyes

Pikejaw- blue-grey tom with darker blue spots and black paws and white tail tip, blue eyes

Ashfang-light grey speckled tom with golden stripe down spine and striped tail

Sunblaze-long furred golden-cream tom with darker gold spots on his spine and flank, green eyes

Icefang-muscular white tom with scar across shoulder, blue eyes

Apprentice, Frozenpaw

Blackflower-black she-cat with cream spots

Dawnflash-ginger tabby and white she-cat with yellow eyes, Apprentice Flowerpaw

Willowmist- grey tabby she-cat with white muzzle,paws, underbelly

Spiderwing- smokey grey she-cat with brown paws, amber eyes

Tallstep-black tom with grey front paw, yellow eyes

Rosepool-calico she-cat with yellow eyes, mentor to Flintpaw

Swallowfern-brown she-cat with white flecks

Finchsong-pale ginger she-cat with brown tabby stripes, mentor to Owlpaw

Apprentices

Flintpaw-dark grey she-cat with amber eyes, long tail

Owlpaw- brown mottled she-cat with lighter underbelly and green eyes, fluffy tail , green eyes

Beepaw-plump white she-cat with black ears, yellow stripes on back

Flowerpaw-ginger torbie she-cat with brown tabbys spots and black spots, yellow eyes

Frozenpaw-white tom with grey face, tabby legs and tabby tail, green eyes

Swanpaw-white tom with brown tabby tail,and spots on flank, green eyes

Queens

Peachbloom- ginger tabby with brown tabby spots, mother to Sunnystripe's kits- Elmkit and Oakkit , Frecklekit

Fernfrond- grey speckled tabby with white front paws and tipped tail, blue eyes mother to Pikejaw's kits

Bluekit, Sneezekit and Snowkit

Rainbreeze-light silver she-cat with darker blue-grey stripes, yellow eyes- adopted mother to Sleekkit, Strikekit

Kits

Elmkit-dark ginger tabby with dark brown stripes tom with black speckles on head, bushy tail, and bright blue eyes , cream flash on chest – three moons old

Oakkit- dark russet tabby tom with bright green eyes and white flash on chest- three moons old

Frecklekit- dark ginger she-cat with black freckles on her back, legs and tail, white freckles on her nose, paws and brown spots on her back, yellow-green eyes-three moons old

Bluekit- dark blue cat with black paws, tailtip, and eartips and on nose, light blue eyes- two moons old

Sneezekit- dark blue tom with white socks, muzzle and tailtip, black toes and spots on back , dark blue-green eyes- two moons old

Snowkit-fluffy silver-white she-cat with black toes and ears, freckles across nose, and tailtip , pale blue eyes -two moons old

Sleekkit-golden tabby she-cat with lighter yellow stripes , golden eyes-five moons old

Strikekit- ginger tom with dark brown spot on back, one white paw and fluffy tail, green eyes – five moons old

Elders

Honeysoul- elderly pale ginger tabby she-cat with golden eyes and white paws

Wheatfur-golden brown tom with darker stripes, amber eyes

Cornpelt- pale golden mottled she-cat with darker spots, blind in one eye, other orange

Cloverleg-brown tabby she-cat with white flash on nose

Slateclan

Tunnelstar-dark tabby she-cat with silver paws, yellow eyes and fluffy tail

Deputy

Eeljaw-black tabby tom with grey muzzle with yellow eyes, mentor to Leechpaw

Medicine cat

Flamepelt-ginger tabby tom with white legs and belly and brown stripes, amber eyes

Medicine cat apprentice, Berryflash

Brightbloom-ginger and white she-cat with green eyes, mentor to Dapplepaw

Timbersnout- grey tom with yellow eyes

Softsand-sand colored she-cat with darker flecks with yellow eyes, mentor to Pricklepaw

Swiftpetal-grey she-cat with white dapples, mentor to Shardpaw

Dewfoot- light grey tabby tom with white front paws, mentor to Cliffpaw

Grubbelly- cream colored tom with long fur and white belly, yellow eyes

Muddystreak-brown tabby she-cat with darker streak on spine

Apprentice, Thornpaw

Volestripe-light brown tabby tom

Littlemouse-pale brown she-cat with grey stripes, mother to Clearpaw

Foxtooth- ginger tabby she-cat with white muzzle

Gullwhisker-white and black she-cat with long whiskers

Leafshine-brown and black tabby she-cat with white underbelly, mentor to Bubblepaw

Ducktail- brown tom with grey stripes and muzzle, white paws

Bushpelt-brown tabby tom with lighter brown stripes and paws with green eyes, mentor to Cliffpaw

Snakefang-light brown mottled tom with grey paws, green eyes

Stormstrike-blue broad -shouldered tabby tom with silver stripes, yellow eyes

Mintear-pale grey tabby she-cat with white streaks on face, distinctive tufted ears and green eyes

Melonsplash-grey she-cat with thick darker grey tabby stripes, white belly spotted like kestrel feathers, bright green eyes

Apprentices

Leechpaw- smoky grey tom with three leech scars on his left shoulder

Clearpaw- white she-cat with silver spots on back, blue eyes

Thornpaw-dark grey she-cat with white legs, face and underbelly, blue eyes

Pricklepaw-dark brown tabby tom, orange eyes

Spikepaw- grey tom with white speckles on his muzzle, yellow eyes

Cliffpaw-handsome grey tom, green eyes

Dapplepaw-calico she-cat with white muzzle and tail, amber eyes

Bubblepaw-grey-brown she-cat with mottled white spots, green eyes

Berryflash- long furred cream tom with ginger tabby spots on his head, flank and a dark ginger striped tail, orange eyes

Queens

Lilyfur-fluffy white she-cat with cream colored ears with bright green eyes, Mother to Nightkit, and Forestkit

Pansypelt-grey, white and brown calico she-cat mother to Grubbelly's kits -Peonykit, Bloomkit

Squirrelleap-dark brown and ginger tabby tortoiseshell with white front paws, Mother to Snakefang's kits

Wettoe- mostly brown she-cat with black toes, white belly, Mother to Eeljaw's kits

Marigoldeye-dark tortoiseshell she-cat with one white front paw, and three brown paws with bright yellow eyes

Kits-

Peonykit-grey mottled she-cat with bright orange eyes

Nightkit-white sleek tom with three black marks on his shoulder and a long black stripe down his spine and tail with icy blue eyes

Forestkit-brown tabby tom with darker brown stripes, black stripe down spine and dark green eyes

Bloomkit-fluffy long furred grey she-cat with ginger spots, and bright amber eyes

Elders-

Carrotstep-pale ginger she-cat with darker legs and bright yellow, formerly a kittypet

Robinflight- light brown she-cat with pale yellow tabby legs, and darker brown tabby stripes with green eyes, crippled back leg. Permeant nursery helper, retired early due to cave-in.

Cinderflower-dark smoky grey tabby with twisted back leg, scars crossing muzzle, torn ear and bright blue eyes, retired early due to fox attack. No tail.

Beechpelt-scarred white tom with silver stripes

Slickwhisker-ragged greyish-brown tom with white belly with yellow whiskers and yellow eyes

Fallowfern-pale brown she-cat with cream scruff and long fur, yellow eyes

Ruinclan

Leader

Thistlestar- dark grey tabby tom with brown tabby patches, amber eyes

Deputy

Lionstrike- large pale ginger tom with thick ruff of golden fur, bright ginger tabby markings, blue eyes

Medicine cat

Lilacleaf- white she-cat with grey and black tabby spots, amber eyes

Fidgetpaw- black tom with white flash on his chest, grey paws, amber eyes

Warriors

Rowanflame- deep ginger broad shouldered tom with darker red markings, orange eyes

Wolfmoon-Black tom with grey paws, underbelly, broad shoulders, amber eyes

Dragonblaze- pale silver tabby she-cat with pale yellow stripes on face, green eyes

Cloverbreeze- brown tabby she-cat with white paws, yellow eyes, mentor to Bubblepaw

Lightningfur- golden tabby tom with darker paws, black stripes on his face, amber eyes

Beetlebounce- black tom with white paws, orange eyes,

Sootcrest- grey tom with black stripe down his spine, yellow eyes, mentor to Snailpaw

Otterwind-brown she-cat with amber eyes, lighter paws

Olivefeather- brownish she-cat with darker stripes, green eyes

Stumblefoot- pale grey tom with twisted front foot

Duckclaw- grey-brown tom with white paws, ginger eyes

Antlerstrike- dark cream tabby tom with ginger eyes, mentor to Dogpaw

Gingerbloom- ginger tabby with white patches, amber eyes

Nutnose- brown tom with white flash on his nose, ginger eyes, mentor to Twistpaw

Creekrush- dark grey-blue tom with silver stripe on his spine, lighter paws, yellow eyes

Russetclaw- ginger tom with blind eye, pale ginger paws

Glarewing- deep ginger tabby she-cat with white muzzle, golden paws, green eyes

Apprentices

Bubblepaw- greyish brown she-cat with white patches

Salmonpaw- dilute grey she-cat with black tabby stripes, white underbelly, paws and pale blue eyes

Dogpaw- dark brown she-cat with cream colored paws, muzzle and underbelly, amber eyes

Snailpaw- brown tabby tom with white patch on forhead, cream front paws, white back ones, yellow eyes

Queens

Sagestone- dilute calico she-cat with green eyes, mother to Grasskit, Ripplekit

Poppyfern- dark calico she-cat, mother to Nutnose's kits, Cherrykit, Leopardkit,

Frostfoot- grey she-cat with white paws, mother to Russetclaw's kit, Chillkit,

Kits-

Grasskit- dark grey tabby tom with almost greenish tinge to his fur, green eyes

Cherrykit- calico she-cat with black spots, ginger dapples, yellow eyes

Leopardkit- golden tom with darker brown dapples, yellow eyes, dark brown paws

Chillkit- White tom with ginger ears, flash on chest, ginger tabby paws, and mask, blue eyes

Ripplekit- Dark grey tabby she-cat with white belly, paws, flash on chest, tail tip, green eyes, black stripes

Elders-

Heartsong- brown dappled she-cat, amber eyes

Vinenose- ginger she-cat with white stripes, green eyes

Milkeye- white tom with blind eyes, scars across face

Pastclan

Leader

Galestar- muscular white tom with light grey mask, amber eyes, striped gray tail

Deputy

Lynxtooth- dark grey tom with black stripes, scarred jaw and amber eyes

Medicine cat

Shaleshine- dark grey swirled tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

Wadingpaw- smoky blue-grey tabby tom with black stripes, green eyes

Warriors

Marshscar- pale grey and white tom, yellow eyes

Midgethorn- light brown tabby she-cat, long fur, amber eyes

Furledflower- dilute calico she-cat, orange eyes

Fennelstripe- lithe brown tabby tom, amber eyes

Cricketstep- tan tabby tom with white legs, yellow eyes

Flaxbush- golden brown she-cat with mottled brown patches, green eyes

Gritdrop- grey tom with brown flecks in pelt, blue eyes

Chiveridge- dark brown tom with darker stripe down spine, amber eyes, mentor to Skippaw

Yewthorn- white she-cat with black dapples, yellow eyes, mentor to Calicopaw

Burnetcloud- brown tabby she-cat with white spots, amber eyes

Pansynose- grey she-cat, white flash on nose, green eyes

Cranewing- black and white tom, mentor to Mistlepaw

Erminetuft- light brown she-cat with darker ruft of black fur around neck, white paws

Indigopetal-brown she-cat with blue eyes, white paws, long fur, black face

Havenwish- white she-cat with tan legs, black stripes, blue eyes

Hickorysun- ginger tom with brown face, white paws

Quickcrow- black smoky tom, with white tipped ears, muzzle, tail tip, and paws, yellow eyes

Conebark- brown mottled she-cat with black stripes, white tipped tail

Apprentices

Mistlepaw- grey almost white tabby she-cat with white paw

Calciopaw- dark ginger tom, with black and dark brown spots, cream flash on chest, green eyes

Skippaw- pale ginger tom with white flash on chest

Queens

Anttrail- black she-cat with brown belly, paws, and muzzle, mother to Hootkit and Hatchkit

Glowtail- white she-cat with ginger tail, cream patches- mother to Blossomkit, father Marshscar

Kits

Hootkit- Dark brown tom with dark cream colored underbelly, yellow eyes

Hatchkit- Dark cream colored she-kit with ligher cream underbelly, green eyes

Blossomkit- dark red, pinkish calico with white petal shaped patches, paws, green eyes

Elders

Herringrunner- grey tom with black paws, yellow eyes

Mushroomtail-ginger she-cat with white spots, amber eyes

Lowlog- brown tom with amber eyes

Cats outside of clans

Falcon- broad shouldered dark tabby tom with black stripes and blue eyes, barn cat and former rouge

Pebble-slender brown she-cat with white and grey spots with green eyes, kittypet with a purple collar with silver bell

Toby-plump brown tabby and white tom with large ears and amber eyes, kittypet with blue collar

Pepper-small ginger tabby she-cat with white paws, kittypet

Jackson-cream and brown tom with yellow eyes, kittypet

Coal-black tom with white paws,chin and tail with green eyes, kittypet

Rebel-dark blue tabby tom with bright yellow eyes, kittypet

Wren-long furred pale grey nearly white she-cat with blue eyes, barn cat and former rouge

Soda- dark brown she-cat with black paws and amber eyes

Morty- brown spotted cat, kittypet

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I don't want to hear about how the pelts are 'unrealistic' or 'impossible'. Warriors are a fantasy story and apparently genetics don't really exist. Unless I want them too, and they may come into play into this story. Ruinclan and Pastclan settled into the territory after Slateclan and Echoclan did. They came after the second purge of all the half clan cats from the original clans. Slateclan and Echoclan were on their third leader and generation when the last two clans came. Also the territories are super large, and it takes a full day for one patrol to go the entirety of one clan's territory. I can only explain how the territories are split up into four, with Slateclan in the upper left, Pastclan across the green river in the upper right, below them is Ruinclan in the bottom right- across another river, finally in the bottom left is Echoclan who is across another river. In the center where all four rivers connect in the left quadrant is the gathering island and in the right quadrant is the Starwater island.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Owlpaw ~**_

Sunlight filtered into the apprentice den in Echoclan, making her mottled coat glow bright ginger in the sunshine . Deep in sleep the eleven moon old apprentice twitched her whiskers as she rolled over on to back, stretching her legs with a slight mew in her sleep. The white tom who slept next her wasn't so lucky as he padded back into the den, slush on his pelt.

"Get up already! Icefang had me up at the crack of dawn practicing battle moves." The grey ticked tom hissed angerly as he placed his heavy white paw on her flank effectively rolling her over. Owlpaw sighed with a purr, green eyes focusing on her denmate with a flick of her bushy tail. "I can't believe that Finchsong allows you to sleep in till sunhigh."

Frozenpaw glanced out the hole in the hollow tree that the apprentices called their den, his ice blue eyes narrowed in frustration as he wrinkled his muzzle. "Best get out and meet for hunting patrol with your mentor. Ashfang's already complaining that Finchsong never makes her half-kittypet apprentice get up at dawn." He snapped with a tone laced with teasing. His ice-blue eyes were filled with an emotion similer to envy and jealously as he yawned tiredly.

Owlpaw let out a hiss as she rose to her paws, flicking Frozenpaw appretictively with the tip of her bushy tail as she slipped out through the ferns that covered the entrance. Cats strolled around the clearing lazily, all with different pelt colors and of all sizes. A patrol padded through the bramble barrier, a calico she-cat, a slender dark grey she-cat and a long legged black tom. In each of their jaws was a piece of prey- a rabbit that Flintpaw had caught, a red breasted robin was clamped firmly in Tallstep's black maw and a pair of mice swung from Rosepool's mouth.

The sweet scent of newleaf sung across Owlpaw's nose, even though leafbare still had an icy grip on the forest and more importantly the river. Mud pressed between her toes and she rose her front paw to shake the sticky mess from her paw. Silverfeather watched from the medicine cat den with amusement before disappearing into the tunnel with a flick of her silver tail.

"Does the little Kittypet not like getting it's paws wet?" A voice taunted from behind Owlpaw, sounding similarly to gravel being moved underpaw. Owlpaw let out a hiss as she turned her head toward the warriors den, where a large grey tom with darker flecks sat with a sneer. His golden stripe was turned pale in the weak sunlight, and his blue eyes narrowed.

Ashfang, the biggest furball in the entire clan as far as Owlpaw was concerned. He had only been given his warrior name half a moon ago, yet the proud tom strutted around the camp like he just been made leader. Living in the apprentice den with him had made Owlpaw's life a living Darkforest even though her father had been his mentor.

Owlpaw had been brought to Echoclan as a kit and been allowed to stay because Sunblaze had pleaded with Sandstar for the clan to raise his daughter. Sandstar had mercy on his brother allowing the half kittypet kit to stay and train as a warrior. That had been moons ago, Owlpaw could hardly remember her mother, let alone try to go back to the kittypet lifestyle. Still the jibes hurt. So did the tuaunts, but luckily not everyone in the clan held such views.

"At least my parents wanted me around!" Owlpaw smirked as she padded away from the den, inwardly wincing. Fur bristled on the she-cat's spine as she turned away from the tom. Spying her mentor nosing through the freshly stocked preypile, Owlpaw strode toward her with her chin high and tail flicking sassily side to side.

The Echoclan's camp was set up neatly and organized around a clearing in the center of the large territory that they called home. A large stone sat at the very far north end of the clearing, and in it there was a crack that the leader made their nest in. Right of that there was a large fallen sycamore tree with silvery bark riddled with clawmarks from apprentices, but that was the elders den. Beside that there was a fox den that was hidden by a woven dome of brambles and ivy so it was warm in the winter. A few moons ago the warriors had expanded it by tunneling out more of the chamber.

Not that Owlpaw had ever been inside of the warrior den. She imagined it would be cozier than the old elm stump that the apprentices lived in, despite it having a nice layer of new fresh moss on the floor and ferns over the entrance like all the dens to keep out the chill. _I'll get there soon enough_ , she thought comfortingly. Besides the apprentice den was the nursery, a large cave of blue stone that was reinforced with enough brambles and thorns to keep out the unwanted, but lined so thickly with ivy on the inside that no kit would happen to poke their eyes out.

Next to the Leader's rock was the medicine cat den, a large bramble thicket with a woven roof that led into a rock cave into the ground, but the tunnel is were most of the healing took place and where the sick cats slept. Farther down into the tunnel it branched into four tunnels, one that led to the place that the medicine cats slept, the one where the herbs were store, another that hid a small spring of water that dribbled out of the stone wall and an escape tunnel that was hidden by a reeds in a clearing that held a tiny pond in the pine forest.

Her fur was ruffled as a warm breeze blew, the cold moons were slowly loosening their bitter claws on this forest. Finchsong rose her head from the pile, bouncing up to her full height with a feather stuck to her nose. Owlpaw let out a small purr as her mentor scowled, brushing it from her muzzle.

"Ready to go?" Finchsong purred as they strolled out the barrier. "Of course! Anything to get away from this mess." Owlpaw said flattening her ears as the mud squished between her toes. Finchsong's amber eyes glistened as the wind suddenly picked up, into a warm gust that nearly knocked her off her paws. Owlpaw paused as a sudden scent washed over her and she let out a growl as a flash of grey and gold streaked past her.

"Don't worry little, kittypet. _I'll_ be working hard to feed the clan so you don't have to feel the mud between your special toes." Ashfang purred with a cackled as he sped into the forest, ears flattened. He disappeared into the trees with a flick of his slender tail, and his pawprints in the mud slowly filled with water. Owlpaw could only grit her teeth as Finchsong nudged her shoulder with her slender muzzle.

A pale dove fluttered down onto one of the roots, in the shade of the elm tree. "Catch it before it has good sense and lands in the tree." Finchsong whispered. Owlpaw crouched down and stilled her winding tail. Pawstep by pawstep she crept forward, settling her hindpaws under her for a great leap. Suddenly the wind shifted direction and the bird fluttered it's wings uncertainly as if about to take off.

Without thinking Owlpaw leapt forward, and the bird took off. With a small paw she batted the dove to the ground as her claws pulled out a few feathers, and Finchsong clamped her jaws around the dove and it fell limp. As Owlpaw fell onto the ground she skidded in the mud. It splashed over her pelt lightly, coating her in brown ooze.

"I think we need to work on making kills cleanly." Finchsong laughed as her apprentice struggled to her paws. Pale grey feathers clung to Owlpaw's fur and stuck out between her claws. "I'll still get my warrior name on time right?" Owlpaw asked, tilting her head to the side. Finchsong shrugged clamping her jaws around the dove with a snort.

 **~Clearpaw~**

Pawsteps echoed in the tunnel, and the white apprentice tilted her head toward the noise. This was her first passement, battling in the dark. This was one of her first times in the tunnel, but Clearpaw felt more comfortable here than in Slateclan's camp at the moment. Blinking she waited for her eyes to adjust slowly. This part of the tunnels connected to the main one that lead back to camp, and there was hardly enough room for a cat to rise up on their back legs.

The rapid approach of the heavy pawsteps from behind her had Clearpaw spinning on her back legs. A broad paw raked claws across her ear. It stung. With a yowl Clearpaw threw herself at the dark shadow as it reared back onto it's hind legs. With a thud the shadow's head slammed on the roof of the tunnel and it collapsed heavily onto it's belly.

Clearpaw let out a triumph purr as she sliced a paw over the ears of the attacker who moaned. "I won!" She crowed as she clambered onto the brown tabby tom with lighter stripes. He grunted as he knocked the apprentice off his spine. " By default. You haven't won yet." Bushpelt groaned as he rubbed a paw over his throbbing skull.

Pride flooded Clearpaw's heart. Bushpelt rose to his paws, wrapping his tail around Clearpaw's slender shoulders. As they padded into the main tunnel, wet soil soaked her white paws and turned them a dusty brown. "You know that you'll have to be assessed again, right?" Bushpelt breathed, his eyes closing as the darkness faded into a bright light as they approached the entrance.

The main tunnel opened up at the end of the clearing in camp. the camp was contained in a crescent moon shaped ravine that opened up into the pine forest. Slateclan had lived here since they had been banished from the lake, and tunneled into the mountain to find prey in the natural tunnels and caves.

Cats often climbed up on the natural ledges that were worn into the stone hill, and some of the older worn out dens had been made into the mountain. Now only the leaders den was made up higher than the rest of the dens, with a large enough overhang that two cats could fit on comfortable to speak.

That was where Tunnelstar made her speeches, but she didn't often sleep up in that den due to her wanting to be viable to all cats to come to her with their problems. From the oldest elder to the tiny kits, she cared about them all. At least it seemed like that to Clearpaw.

Their territory was primarily mountain, forest with pines and deciduous trees, and moors along the other side of the mountain. On the left side of the old stump that Tunnelstar often used to call meetings was the crack in the stone wall that lead into the medicine cat den.

The warrior den was a tunnel next to the left Tunnelstar's den on the forest floor, and it had been recently expanded to make more room for the growing ranks. Nearest to the right bramble entrance was the elders, a large hollow oak tree with a floor lined with soft moss. Next to them was the slit in the mountain that was near invisible to outsiders, hardly big enough for an expecting queen to fit through. The entranced was hidden with ivy, ferns and thick clinging moss so no kits would poke their eyes out, of the right of the elder's den.

Apprentices slept under a crag that peaked out from reddish and grey walls of the mountain. A small den opened up under the crag that was hardly big enough for the multiple apprentices that slept in the sandy floored circular den. Clearpaw had been pestering Thornpaw to expand it for the past moon, but the grey and white she-cat only shrugged.

Clearpaw slipped out of the tunnel with a purr as Bushpelt made a beeline for the medicine cat den, as she gazed around the clearing. A few cats milled about as she nosed through the prey pile, picking from the hawks, squirrels, and various prey items. She wrinkled her nose as she touched a toad with her muzzle, yanking her head back in disgust.

"You should give that to Thornpaw." A pleasant voice mewed from the entrance of the warriors den, as a grey she-cat with a white spotted belly appeared next to the pile. Melonsplash flicked her tail in greeting as she yawned widely. "Timbersnout caught it especially for her." The warrior began to sort through the pile as she dangled it from a wide claw toward Clearpaw.

A feeling a wave nousalia washed over Clearpaw for a heartbeat. _If Blizzardtooth would have lived would he bring my favorite prey to me? Would he go hunting espescially for me like Timbersnout does for Thornpaw? Would he take me on patrols just the two of us like Snakefang does to Leechpaw?_

Blizzardtooth had died when she was a moon old, in a fight with a badger. _Mother hardly speaks of him anymore._ Littlemouse spoke of the big white tom when Clearpaw was a kit, nearly every day. All she could speak about was how brave, handsome and kind he had been. Now it seemed to Clearpaw as if Littlemouse wanted to forget about Blizzardtooth. Ever since becoming an apprentice her tabby mother had been more distant.

"Have you seen my mom?" Clearpaw asked Melonsplash, her ears flattened to her skull. Melonsplash glanced at her paws, her green eyes narrowing with an emotion that Clearpaw didn't realize. Clearpaw blinked. "She was supposed to take me hunting, just the two of us."

"She went out with Dewfoot." Melonsplash turned away from the apprentice as she rose to her paws. Clearpaw gritted her teeth as she picked up the toad in her jaws. Suddenly she wasn't so hungry anymore. _She forgot again. It's no big deal. She probably thought that my assessment would take longer anyway._ Clearpaw raised her head as she bounced to the apprentice dens. _That must be it, a simple mistake._

 **~Bluekit~**

"Stay out of the mud all of you!" Fernfrond yowled from the shade of the nursery, her blue eyes sparkling as the herd of kits dabbed at the wet mud with tiny paws. At sunhigh the sun had dried up most of the mud , but a few puddles of it still remained. "We don't want to have to wash you in the river."

Bluekit rolled her eyes as she squished the sticky substance in between her black toes. Fernfrond was always such a clean paws just like Snowkit. _Perfect Snowkit, she never gets dirty._ Bluekit hissed as she turned away from the puddle. Her silver and black sister was tumbling around in the dry grass with Elmkit, who seemed to have the upper paw as he pinned her sister down.

"Careful! We can't get muddy." Snowkit purred as she reminded the tom. "Mom will get mad." Elmkit reductantly removed his broad paws. Bluekit lashed her tail with frustration. _Everyone always listens to what Snowkit has to say._

"I don't care about the mud. Want to go see if Cornpelt's awake?" A voice said with a aloof tone. Oakkit drew a paw over his muzzle as he observed his denmate with half lidded eyes. His tail wrapped around his paws. "There are better things to do than watch our perfect littermates play. Not that I care." He shrugged as he padded to the elders den with a flick of his red tail.

"Where are Frecklekit and Sneezekit?" Bluekit asked as she strained her head to look up at Oakkit. Oakkit flicked an ear as he narrowed his eyes. "Probably putting ants in Swanpaw's nest. Does it matter though?" He sighed as the elders raised their head as the kits padded into the den.

Cornpelt rasped a tongue over her matted pelt as her orange eye dimly flickered at the kits. "Not out causing trouble are you?" Her tired voice strained with old age. "When Wheatfur and Honeysoul were kits they caused all sorts of trouble, hiding fire ants in the medicine cat den, sneaking out of camp, and such." Honeysoul glared at her mother, but Wheatfur twitched his whiskers knowingly.

"Never." Oakkit replied coolly as his eyes narrowed at the old she-cat. "Come for a story then?" Cornpelt guessed as the kits settled in front of her. Bluekit nodded eagerly. "Tell us about the start of Echoclan!" Bluekit glanced at Oakkit from the corner of her eye. He didn't seem interested at all, his tail wrapping neatly around his paws.

"Oh, that old tale?" Wheatfur grunted. "You'll be here all day." Bluekit shrugged as Oakkit sneezed. Oakkit's green eyes brightened for a heartbeat. Bluekit had always assumed he wanted to be as good as leader of the clans in the beginning. Echostar and Slatestar, the half clan cats cast out from the clans.

"Echostar was born to a Skyclan mother and a Riverclan father. Remember their names, but that's to be expected. It was so long ago." Cornpelt began, her orange eye twinkling as she shifted her weight onto her bad side. Her long tabby tail flicked side to side, and it brushed over Bluekit's ears teasingly. "Echorunner was what they called her, but her mother gave her Riverclan mate their only kit to be raised in Riverclan."

"They took her that's what you mean. Riverclan waged war with Skyclan till Echostar was given to their ranks." Honeysoul raised her head off her paws, ear flicking with interest. "Slateclaw was raised in Shadowclan, his mother was a warrior there while his father was the deputy of Thunderclan."

Bluekit plucked a bit of green moss under her paw, fiddling with it. "I had completely forgot about the battle." Cornpelt interjected, a purr rumbling in her throat. "What did they look like?" Oakkit finally said, rubbing a paw over his ear with annoyance.

"Slatestar was a dark smoke grey tabby tom, with eyes that glowed like the sun. He was as broad shouldered as a Thunderclan cat, but had the look of Shadowclan. Echostar was slender and as pretty as they come." Wheatfur's eyes glazed over for a heartbeat before shaking his head. "A bright silver tabby with webbed paws like Riverclan. Legend says her eyes were the color of the lake the clans made their homes by."

"Really?"

"Yes, now let me finish all of you. I've never seen such a bunch of jabberjays in my life."

Cornpelt took a deep breathe, before speaking again. "The clans had grown tired of all of the half-clanners around the lake. Nevermind that Thunderclan had a kittypet leader for seasons! Then there was the leader, Berrystar from Shadowclan, who worked hard to eradicate all half-clan from the lake. He would cause needless battles to attack those of half-clan roots, to kill them in the heat of battle." Cornpelt sighed.

"Grassleg from Thunderclan spoke that for the clans to strive that winter, they would have to cast out all with mixed blood. Soon after the other medicine cats from other clans were saying they had the same dream." Bluekit could picture it in her mind, cats nodding to each other with confirmation. Swaying their leaders to cast out all mixed blood.

"All except Fallingnight of Riverclan. Many cats refused to listen to her, but they had good suspicions to say that she had never received the dream like the rest of the medicine cats." Cornpelt chuckled. "Her apprentice was a cat of mixed blood, his mother was half Windclan and his father had joined Riverclan from Shadowclan to be with her."

"That was Alderspark right?" Bluekit asked, eyes wide.

"The one and the same." Honeysoul crowed.

"All the leaders were swayed by the words of their medicine cats, and they cast out their warriors with any trace of tainted blood. Some even ripped newborn kits from their mother's bellies. The half-clan cats rose against their former clanmates at the gathering, and many died as a result."

"When the battle finally ended, the remaining half-clanners turned away from their former leaders and kin. Those four leaders even killed Riverclan's leader at the time for being half Windclan." Cornpelt began coughing, but spluttered as she continued. "No cat can help who they are born to the casted out ones cried. So they began a journey to the territory around here, after many moons of travel through the snow and over the mountains."

"Echostar split up cats by who wanted to swim or just plainly follow her. Slatestar was more picky, taking a useful cat who had learned the art of tunneling." Cornpelt rasped, her body shivering. "Lucky for us, that dumb tom fell in love with on of Echostar's warriors and gave us a litter of tunneling kits." Bluekit kneaded at the ground anxiously.

"Why can we have more medicine cats than the orginal clans?" Bluekit asked, Oakkit's green gaze sparking with interest. Cornpelt huffed, her one good eye rolling good naturedly. "Because we have more territory than the four clans combined did at the lake. We could support four clans with our territory alone." Bluekit flicked her ear suspiciously.

"I'm sure they'll figure it out once they have to complete the daily territory border patrol," Honeysoul snickered. "Why do you think we send smaller patrols to each border than one big one to go around the entire territory most of the time?" Honeysoul patted Bluekit on the head with her paw as she snorted. "It's a matter of perspective. Our clans use to be much larger than this." The elder eyed the two kits. "But I imagine that will change in time."

 **~Leechpaw~**

A heavy mist sprayed his smoky black fur, which set the young tom growling. A black tom with a grey muzzle padded along the slick stones on the bank with such confidence that had Leechpaw snarling. The border along the waterfall was poorly defended, but yet Eeljaw had thought it was a good idea to show the young tom anyway.

 _Is Eeljaw really showing me this damned place to show off?_ Leechpaw gazed across the raging river that swirled dark blue with silver froth at the fall of the steep waterfall. This was the very edge of Slateclan's territory, and water had never fared well with Leechpaw.

"Come on Leechpaw! Your father would be ashamed to be you so uneasy at the sight at mere water." Eeljaw scolded. The deputy had turned around, his yellow eyes fond. "Why Snakefang was climbing on these rocks as soon as he was apprenticed."

 _Of course he was! Snakefang, the pride of Slateclan would handle these deadly rocks like they were trapped mice for freshkill. Snakefang the bravest warrior! Snakefang the tom who battled snakes in the tunnels and saved Softsand as a kit when she wandered into the tunnels! Snakefang who saved mom when she was attacked from that hawk two moon ago! Stop putting so much pressure on me! I'm not him!_

Leechpaw closed his eyes for a heartbeat before glaring at his mentor. "I get it alright? I'll try to be better." He mumbled. Eeljaw nodded in confirmation. "Try the best that you can do, Leechpaw. We all have such high hopes for you."

Leechpaw flicked his ear in response but said nothing. "It would be a shame if it all went to waste like your uncle." Eeljaw, flicked his tail side to side with gusto as he bounded down the rocks to his apprentice's feet. Eeljaw placed his paw under his apprentices' chin before sighing. "Has your father explained what happened to Redleech?"

Leechpaw nodded. Redleech was his namesake, and had died a moon before Leechpaw's kitting. Redleech had been strolling along these very rocks sortly after it had been raining, but had lost his footing and tumbled down the steep waterfall. The rocks had battered his body and killed him, and a cat from Echoclan had waded through the water in an attempt to save the red and black striped tom. Alas, Redleech had already died by the time she could reach him.

Snakefang missed his brother dearly, Leechpaw had been told by his mother. So before he was kitted Leechpaw's name had already been decided on. Yet when their only kit came out with black fur, Snakefang settled on Leechkit because Squirelleap refused to name a darker furred kit, Redkit.

"Redleech could have been one of the best fighters that this clan had ever seen! I swear when I mentored him that I saw inside of him all the potential to be the next leader." Eeljaw's gaze hardened like ice as his tail wrapped around his paws. "Yet he was taken too soon from us all, and it was all wasted." Eeljaw rose. The deputy flicked his tail up to the slate colored stones. "I don't want that to happen to you just because you weren't paying attention like he was."

Leechpaw gritted his teeth, his mind whirling. It was like this every day when he trained with cats! _I am not Snakefang! I am not some careless tom who slipped on rocks moons ago! When will these cats realize that? My name is Leechpaw, son of Squirrelleap and Snakefang. I am not my parents or a dead cat, just their kin. Let me go at my own pace!_

Inwardly, Leechpaw was slightly relived that his parents were having a second litter in a moon. Maybe those kits would take some of the pressure of him, and have it placed on their shoulders. He winced, that was an awful thing to do to kits. Snakefang and Squirrelleap had never placed any pressure on him as a kit, and they didn't really now. If only the rest of the clan was that way.

Leechpaw shook his head as he jumped up onto the rocks, his lean hind legs churned for a heart beat as he stood a mouse-length away from the swirling blue water. His head swirled for a second as he placed his claws firmly on the moss that lined the stones. The black tom glanced back at his mentor, who beamed with pride.

"Well done! Try the next one, but slowly. You don't want to release your grip." Eeljaw mewed cheerfully, his ears flicking happily. Leechpaw could hardly hear him over the roar of the river, and acid coated the inside of his throat.

"Give me a heartbeat okay?" Leechpaw gently placed his front paws along the side of the rock. There was one hardly a tail-length away from the stone he was perched on. He glanced back at the bank, Eeljaw was motioning for him to get on with it. It was possible to turn around and head back safely.

"Do Echoclan cats really do this every day?" Leechpaw asked, as he turned around to his mentor. Eeljaw nodded with a twitch of his whiskers. "The border is on the other side of those rocks. They've attacked us several times from here, and we weren't prepared for it and lost. That's why you need to be as comfortable up there as you feel in the nursery." Eeljaw said, unsheathing his claws.

Leechpaw turned back and lowered his belly on the rock so low that it his belly fur brushed against it. He spread his paws as he focused on the raised stone. He soared from the rock before he could hardly realize what he had done.

His front paws scrabbled on the slick stone, but his claws were coated neon green with some slime. Yellow eyes widened in horror as his legs touched the chilled water, soaking his hind legs with ice cold liquid. His weight had dragged him back. Leechpaw glanced back as Eeljaw yowled on the rock behind him. "Eeljaw, help me." Leechpaw whimpered, horrified as his stomach was soaked with the current.

"Leechpaw! Don't let go!" Eeljaw shrieked as he reached for his apprentice with his outstretched claws. Leechpaw's chin and front paws were the only things not pulled into the raging current. His heart was beating rapidly as the moss his front paw was gripping detached from the rock with a groan. "Reach for me Leechpaw!" Eeljaw commanded, nearly a whisker from his apprentice.

The next thing he knew was that he was tumbling. Over and over, tail over head as the sandy bottom of the river sloshed against his muzzle. He couldn't breathe. Water flooded his nose, ice and fire all at once as he lungs screamed for any source of air at all. He thrust his head above the river with a gasp before he stumbled against some stone. All he heard was an thud, and then it went black.

 **~Swanpaw~**

A breeze ruffled his short white fur as he inwardly cursed himself for being born with mostly pure snow-white hair. Luckily a few dark brown tabby patches on his flank and tail made it slightly easier to blend into the foliage of the forest that Echoclan called their home.

Swanpaw carefully tracked around black barked tree, his head low to the ground with the tantalizing scent of prey. He dared not look back, his mentor was hiding somewhere around here. Parsleytail wasn't one of the best stalkers in the clan, but with his pelt he had the odds in his favor.

Scent wafted up into his nose, and Swanpaw followed it. Closer and closer his paws led him to the edge of the territory, near the farm on the edge of the left border. There he spotted it as he stalked closer to the edge of a willow tree.

A dove pecked at some seeds, blissfully unaware of it's impending doom. Swanpaw licked his jaws as he settled into a leap. With a loud crack the pigeon took off, and Swanpaw jumped back startled.

"Fox dung!" He growled. Around the tree a cat appeared, fur matted and tangled. He tilted his head to the side, wondering why he hadn't noticed the scent of Rainbreeze before now. Must have been the pigeon.

 _Wait, why is Rainbreeze away from the nursery? Redfoot's kits won't be six moons for another week or so!_

"Intruder!" Swanpaw hissed, and the cat turned around. Her eyes were wide with fear, large and yellow like daisies in the springtime. She scrabbled to her paws, her low stomach swinging. This was no clan cat.

"I-I'm sorry." Her voice trembled with fear as Swanpaw unsheathed his claws. He took a step closer, sniffing her scent. She shied away, trembling. "Are you one of the clan cats?"

 _Milk? She's expecting kits! Why is a cat like this so far from her home? No wonder she's terrified of me, the rumors around the kittypet homes say we eat bones and kill small kits. Should I take her back? She will die out here if I don't …_

"I'm Swanpaw from Echoclan." Swanpaw said briskly as he flicked his tail back to the farm. "You need to go back from where you came, because most of us would have chased you off." His eyes glanced down at her swollen belly. "It wouldn't be safe for your kits."

She paused as she lapped at a matted light grey shoulder, her eyes weary. "I can't go back to the farm." Her fur was light grey like ashes, but she was sleek and short for a cat. "My names Wren by the way." Wren added.

"The twolegs will take my kits," Tears began to bead on her muzzle, "Their father is gone." Swanpaw looked at his white paws, the sight of a cat crying made him uncomfortable. "I don't know where he went." She murmured. Glancing back at the barn, she sighed.

Swanpaw let out a growl as he rose to his paws. "What do you think I'm suppose to do about that!" He snapped and Wren recoiled as if he had struck her with his claws. "Calm down, I'm just annoyed." Wren relaxed as Swanpaw turned away from her, his tail lashing.

"I heard that the clans will take in kits and strays." Wren begged as she followed him. Her yellow eyes pierced into him as she nudged his shoulder with her muzzle. Swanpaw was a good head shorter than the queen. Swanpaw sighed as he shook his head.

"Fine!" His eyes narrowed, untrusting.

 _What harm can a expecting queen do? Scold me for not listening to the elders or bothering my mom with questions about my father? Besides she is in no state to take over her clan. She's expecting kits anyway, it would be cruel to leave her here._

Swanpaw sighed as she padded with him, huffing around her swollen belly that swung with every step. He gulped, he didn't know if this was going to be a good idea, but he had to try.

 _Besides what if those kits are my kin somehow? If the rumors are true its possible they could be._ The thought alone made him sick.


	3. Chapter 3

"Your name is ironic now"

Chapter two

 **~Berryflash~**

Berryflash swept the medicine den floor, pushing shreds of herbs out into the clearing. _Firepelt's nowhere to be seen again. Surprise, surprise, surprise._ The ginger and cream long-haired tom glanced around the clearing.

Marigoldeye was laying in one of the bright sunbeams that had dried up all of the mud from that morning, her belly not even swollen. _She isn't even a moon pregnant, but expects us all to wait on her. If Firepelt didn't say she was actually expecting, I frankly wouldn't have believed it._

His nephews frolicked around their mother, wrestling and play fighting with the moss ball he had rolled for them that morning. Lilyfur caught his gaze and flicked her tail in greeting as her five moon old sons squabbled.

A heavily pregnant queen slipped out of the nursery, and made a beeline for Berryflash. Distress was evident in her amber eyes as she huffed over to him. Berryflash tilted his head in surprise, her kits weren't due for another two weeks.

"Has Eeljaw came back with Leechpaw yet?" Squirrelleap asked, as she sat down in the entrance of the medicine cat den. She gently flicked her tail as she gazed at Marigoldeye who was snapping at Nightkit. "Also you mind if I stay here for a heartbeat or two? I can't really stand the newest addition to the nursery."

Berryflash let out a purr of amusement. "Stay as long as you like, Squirrelleap. I might have to put you to work." He laughed as he began nosing the rest of the shredded leaves out of the den. Squirrelleap glanced at entrance to the camp, before shoving a leaf out.

"He was suppose to be back by sunhigh." She said as she flicked a dried piece of herb from her pelt. Now she had his attention, Eeljaw was one of the most punctional tom's in the clan. He hardly ran late. Berryflash blinked in disbelief, as he glanced up at the sky. It had passed the midday mark, but it was hardly past noon.

"That is odd." Berryflash concluded, glancing at the camp entrance. "I'll ask one of the warriors to go make sure everything is alright." He gently touched her shoulder with his tail for comfort, and she visibly relaxed. Flicking a ear, he called to Mintear who had padded out of the den with a yawn.

The grey she-cat stalked over to him, her tufted ears flat on her skull. Her eyes widened as she listened to Berryflash recount what Squirrelleap had told him, and the heavy queen nodded along. "I'll go find them, you can count on me. I'm sure it's nothing, Squirrelleap." Mintear's grey fur bristled with apprehension. "I'll take Muddystreak as well."

With a good-natured flick of her bushy tail, Mintear motioned to one of the guards at the entrance, Muddystreak with her noticeable darker streak along her spine. Berryflash barely caught her eyes widening as the two warrior set out at a quick pace, somewhere between a trot and a run.

Squirrelleap and Berryflash continued the sorting of the herbs with little speaking, worry crossing the queens face. Settling back on his paws Berryflash gave his face a quick wash, and Squirrelleap let out a sigh she settled onto her belly.

"I wanted to ask him about names for the kits." She commented between licks as she washed her paws. "He's a bright tom for his age, but I fear that maybe the pressure may be getting to him." Berryflash's ears pricked at the concern in the ginger queen's voice. Squirrelleap paused as she glanced at the barrier, her fluffy tail swishing side to side. "He doesn't smile like he use too, Berryflash. What happened to my sweet little kit?" Squirrelleap rested her head on her white paws, letting out a huff as the barrier quivered. The rapid approach of pawsteps had half the camp turning their head in shock, tiliting heads in confusion.

"We need Firepelt! Get Berryflash!" Eeljaw burst through the bramble barrier, a sodden bundle of lean smoky fur lolling on his back. Muddystreak was on one side on the deputy while Mintear began to lick the wet fur of the apprentice. Panic rose in Berryflash's belly as Eeljaw gripped Leechpaw's scruff in his jaws and laid the tom at Berryflash's feet.

"He fell into the river," Eeljaw huffed, out of breath. "He tumbled over the waterfall. I'm so sorry Squirrelleap." Squirrelleap rose to her paws as she glanced franticly around the clearing. "I tried to grab him before he fell, but he slipped." Eeljaw looked down at his apprentice, his yellow eyes wide. Squirrelleap gritted her teeth and Berryflash could tell that she struggling not to lash out at the tom.

Yet instead of striking the tom, Squirrelleap began to roughly lap against her son's fur. Her green eyes filled with panic as Berryflash, padded into his den. _What happened? What helps breathing? Goosegrass for bleeding, and dandelion for shock. Blessed thistle to help with his breathing. Where is Firepelt!_ Berryflash let out a huff as he shook his head to clear his anxiety, as her rapidly began to grab small bundles of each.

Leechpaw laid on his belly, his breathing shallow as Squirrelleap began to knead her son's chest. Berryflash buried his nose in the soaked fur, gently touching the bones under skin. No notches, and everything seemed to be in place, yet the skin was cold to the touch. A shadow fell over him as another pair of paws began to knead with deft paws.

"Did you grab thyme?" The calm voice spoke in Berryflash's ear as the sweet scent of juniper filled his nose. Fallowfern tilted Leechpaw's jaws as the former medicine cat began to press with all of her body weight on the apprentice. With a heady cough, foul smelling water poured out of Leechpaw's mouth. "I did." Berryflash breathed.

"Can you check his fur for leeches? You're doing well." Fallowfern asked as she began to chew the herbs into pulp. Berryflash nodded as the his former mentor pushed the pulp into the half dead apprentice's mouth. With a cream paw he began to stroke Leechpaw's throat and he inwardly sighed when the apprentice swallowed.

"Squirrelleap, go to the nursery or find Snakefang. This stress isn't good for the kits." Fallowfern snapped at the queen who gazed at the medicine cats in confusion. "I should be my son! These kits will wait." The ginger tortoiseshell's queen was in near hysterics, almost in shock herself. Berryflash rose to his paws, anger rising in his belly.

"Leechpaw is our paws and his fate is written in the stars. You're getting in our way." Berryflash snapped, his voice rising as his ears flattened to his head. Leechpaw let out a groan when Berryflash prodded his shoulder. Wincing Squirrelleap padded a few tail-lengths away, her green eyes filled with anguish. Berryflash jerked his head out of the slowly drying fur, his nose suddenly coated in slime. Gently parting the fur with large paws, three wriggling greenish worms pulsed with Leechpaw's heartbeat.

"Leeches?" Berryflash blinked in surpise as Fallowfern's bright yellow eyes widened. "You need to send someone to get Silverfeather, _now."_ Fallowfern hissed, her long fur puffing out like a pine cone. The elderly fawn colored medicine cat spun around, leaving Berryflash inwardly panicing as Leechpaw groaned, the apprenice's paws twitching.

Fluttering underneath Leechpaw's eyelids his eyes rolled. Berryflash could hear the calmness of Fallowfern's voice as Tunnelstar and her debated back and forth. _None of us are equipped to deal with leeches like Silverfeather. She was trained to deal with them, we don't swim like Echoclan so we never bothered to learn. Swirlingbreeze was the best at getting rid of leeches. He never bothers to teach us before he died. May the Path of Endless Stars, bless him._

Berryflash couldn't remember if the parasites dug into the skin of their patients or if they bled the victim out. Leechpaw was a slender tom, with long legs and a willowy figure. It's not like he had much blood in his body to start with. Did leeches belch their stomach into the bloodsteam? Wasn't it hard to stop the bleeding after being bitten?

"Send Spikepaw over, Sandstar wouldn't turn an apprentice away begging to help his clanmate." Tunnelstar finally concluded, nodding tightly to the grey apprentice with flecks. Berryflash couldn't help but notice how the apprentice's eyes shone brightly, bright amber orbs. With a dash, the sturdy tom began to pelt out of camp, only to brush past a tall tom, a lighter brown tabby with stone colored paws.

"Where is my son?" Snakefang bellowed as Squirrelleap rushed toward him, her slender muzzle boring into the willowy tom's chest fur. His face fell as he peered past his mate, over to Berryflash, and the still bundle of smoky fur. "Leechpaw! How is our son?" Snakefang slide past Squirrelflight, who puffed to keep up with long steps of her mate. Berryflash felt pity rise in his belly.

 _I would be as frantic as them if anything happened to Lilyfur, or my nephews. I can't imagine how they feel, this is their firstborn. The only kit in their first litter, and they devoted every day to their kits. They don't deserve this. Stars be mercyiful on them._

Berryflash glanced up at the sky, cold, blue and endless as the stars that hid behind the sun and clouds. He hoped his prayer had fell on listening ears, because Leechpaw needed the help of the ancestors to help him through this. Most cats don't tumble over a waterfall and live, but for Squirrelleap's sake and Snakefang's he hoped the slender apprentice would.

Squirrelleap buried her nose in Snakefang's shoulder, who gazed down at his son with fear. Snakefang's yellow eyes widened in despair as Leechpaw let out a slight moan as he shuddered in his sleep. "Redleech didn't even live this long." Snakefang's eyes drifted onto Berryflash, love and worry in his gaze. "What are the chances of Leechpaw living?" His voice cracked. "If anyone can save him, it would be you two." Snakefang turned to his heaving mate, his slender tail twining with hers.

"Redleech must have being protecting him." Snakefang sighed, as Squirrelleap began to gently lap at her son's pelt. "I wanted to talk to him about the new kits," Squirrelleap paused as Leechpaw suddenly coughed. "So he could help name them." Snakefang's fur bristled. He wrapped his striped tail around his son's shoulders, eyes filled with memories. "Leechpaw, come back to me, son. Don't worry, I'm here to keep you safe."Snakefang's voice was hardly heard in Berryflash's ears. "I promise, if you come back to us, I'll never let you fall into harms way again. Stars you know I failed Redleech, don't take my son away too." Berryflash turned away, padding to Fallowfern who sat a few tail-lengths away watching the small family.

 _Snakefang was there when Redleech died, and he is right. Redleech never made it this far along, he died upon impact. There is hope for Leechpaw yet, if only Spikepaw comes back with Silverfeather to get rid of the leeches. I know Leechpaw was always nervous about letting Snakefang down, and disappointing the clan, but he couldn't ask for better parents. Squirrelleap and Snakefang would die for him and their kits, and I hope they won't have to bury their son by sunrise._

~Owlpaw~

Heat itched her thin pelt, and her green eyes squinted against the sun. Inside of the camp, she could hear the conversation between Sunblaze and Sunnystripe, both agreeing that this had been an unsually warm February, the first they had seen in their lifetime.

 _Does this mean that the summer moons will be cool? Or that the heat will scorch the ground and wither all the plants?_ Ivy rustling, the large, long-furred tom yawning as he paused in the entrance of the camp before he padded the rest of the way through, taking a seat on the other side of the barrier. The entrance to camp was guarded most of the time, and Owlpaw's assignment today was to stand watch till the sunset.

Her father was probably suffering more than she was in this heat, under all of his long, fluffy cream colored fur. The entrance had snagged a few tufts, and they gently waved in the wind. Despite the harsh winter, the bramble barrier was covered in thick ivy vines that laced in between the spiky branches and thorns and the plants were thriving so much that a few unlucky cats would probably have to trim them down, Owlpaw thought with a huff. _It's probably going to end up to me and Beepaw._

"How is my daughter today? Finchsong said your training is going well," Sunblaze said with a yawn, his amber eyes sparkling with pride. "That you should be made a warrior by the end of the next moon or early the one after that." Owlpaw let out a purr of appreciation at her father's gushing tone.

Owlpaw could only imagine the reason that Sunblaze was such an attentive parent was because he raised her alone. Whoever her kittypet mother was Owlpaw could barely remember her, and once she was two moons old, Owlpaw was whisked off to Echoclan with her father. All Owlpaw could really remember was the loud footsteps of the Twolegs and the gentle rumble of her mothers calming purr.

Sunblaze grunted as his hindleg stratched at his ear. "Which cats are out on patrol?" Owlpaw straightened up her spine, puffing out her chest proudly. "Flowerpaw left camp early this morning with Dawnflash but didn't come back with her." Sunblaze twitched an ear in interest but resumed his washing.

"Swanpaw was sent on a hunting assement with Parsleytail, a solo hunting mission." Her voice was slightly toned with jealously. "Mudrift, Tallstep, and Rosepool are on a border patrol near the river." Owlpaw's brow furrowed as she struggled to remember who else was in the forest.

"Blackflower left a while ago, she didn't say where she was headed." Disgust crossed both of their faces. Blackflower had an awful habit about disappearing for days at a time, deciding to come back to the clan with the scent washed from her fur. Sandstar had punished Blackflower time and time again, but that only made the selfish she-cat more angry and bitter toward the clan. Rumors had circulated around camp for moons about exile of the black and cream warrior, yet no punishment as severe as that happened.

"Dustyclaw is on the patrol near the twolegplace with Ashfang, they should be back soon. Swallowfern and Spiderwing were patrolling the far border, past the barn and the far mountians." Owlpaw sighed, the heat causing the air to shimmer. "That's it for patrols, and the hunting patrols have already came back."

Sunblaze's ears suddenly flicked forward, the grumbling of a young tom bouncing off the trees. Swanpaw stumbled unhappily into Owlpaw's view, and she noticed that the white and tabby tom's ears were pinned against his skull, fur along his spine bristling.

Swanpaw turned his head around, letting out a sigh. "We're almost there, the camp is just up ahead." Owlpaw rose to her paws, and Sunblaze was on alert, his long fur bushing in worry. "Who goes there?" He called, his voice deep and commanding. Owlpaw unsheathed her claws, a growl rumbling in her throat.

The tom apprentice swiveled his head around to face the warrior, sheepishly flicking his tail as if ashamed. "It's just a pregnant kittypet, Sunblaze. She wants to talk to Sandstar." Swanpaw explained as the pregnant grey kittypet blinked owlishly at the guards as the kittypet appeared behind Swanpaw.

 _How stupid can Swanpaw be? He led a kittypet this far into the territory, showed her the way to our camp! He's defiantly insane._ Owlpaw unseathed her claws, shooting a glance at Swanpaw who couldn't meet her gaze.

Sunblaze nodded as he disappeared into the entrance, his tail beconing all of them into the camp. Swanpaw went first into the camp, with the plump kittypet who kept her head facing the ground. Owlpaw followed her through the barrier, letting out a hiss as the kittypet's bushy tail smacked her across the face.

Snapping around the kittypet met Owlpaw's gaze, fear lacing her daisy colored eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." She whimpered. "My name is Wren." Owlpaw shrugged. _It's not like you'll being staying long enough for you to learn my name. Why even bother to tell me yours? She honestly believes that Sandstar will let her stay so far…_

Owlpaw talked over to the apprentice den, where Beepaw was sitting in the sun. Beepaw only flicked her eye open for a heartbeat before closing it. Frustration itched along her pelt, making her squirm as Sandstar seemed to be discussing with Wren.

"A kittypet wants to join the clan." Owlpaw said, knowing that would rouse Beepaw out of her drowsy daze. As if on cue, the cream tailed apprentice lazily opened her eyes and fixed them on the Wren. "Quiet, I want to listen." Beepaw teased, her fluffy tail wrapping around her paws. "You already ruined my nap, so don't ruin my show." Owlpaw let out a good natured huff as she settled onto her belly with Beepaw.

"The housefolk will take her kits, Sandstar. I've seen it happen time and time again." Owlpaw's jaw dropped in astonishment. Was Sunblaze actually defending this lazy kittypet? Sunblaze stood next to shivering Wren who looked terrified, the sunny eyes darting around the clearing worriedly as cats came out of the den at the raising clamor in the camp.

Sandstar had his head tilted to the side, his blue eyes thoughtful. The short-legged leader seemed to roam around Wren with a calculating gaze, but it softened. He seemed to be taking in every word intently.

"My mate is missing as well…. I wouldn't be asking this if Rebel were still around." Wren had begun to knead the ground with her paws. She had begun to tear up the new growth between her toes. "She doesn't have claws!" Beepaw flicked her tail over Owlpaw's ears, pointing to the Wren's paws. Sure enough, where warriors had claws Wren had clipped, white stubby nails.

"She can't stay with us now." Owlpaw leaned over her friends shoulder. "She can't hunt. Sandstar would be insane to accept her." Beepaw let out a laugh, glancing at Owlpaw with a amused smile on her face. "You do realize that could have been you, right? You're part kittypet yourself, so don't get all high and mighty on me."

Disgust rolled in Owlpaw's belly, and it turned her mouth bitter. _Could I have been in Wren's place? I'm an apprentice though, and Sunblaze is my father. I'm much better than that fat kittypet. I thought the clan had finally accepted me with the exception of Ashfang that is. Is that how they see me? Worthless and lazy?_

Sandstar rose to his paws, and Owlpaw realized she had been so focused on tearing up the grass at her paws than actually listening to the conversation. He opened up his mouth to say something, "You can't be serious! With all due respect Sandstar, we can't afford more mouths to feed." Nightnose stood at the edge of the warriors den, stiff and straight.

"We had so many warriors die this Leafbare," Nightnose flicked his tail over the nursery where Strikekit and Sleekkit tumbled around, "due to starvation. I wouldn't have said anything if she had her claws, but she doesn't. She can't even hunt for herself. " His amber eyes scanned the small crowd of cats, most seemed to be agreeing with him. "The wild is no place for a clawless cat, one that's been sitting on the laps of twolegs and being fed all of their life. A life without claws is a death sentence, and she has no way to defend herself or her kits." Nightnose glanced over at the nursery.

Rainbreeze had risen to her paws, nudging her adopted kits into the den. "You are right, Nightnose." Sandstar sighed, his face turning to Wren. Rainbreeze appeared from the nursery, slowly padding over to her mate as she pushed through the crowd.

"If anything," Rainbreeze dipped her head respectively to Sandstar, "that's all the more reason we should give her safe haven here to raise her kits." Sandstar smiled with amusement at the silver queen, before flicking his tail for her to continue.

"You've peaked my intrest, Rainbreeze. State your case." Sandstar grumbled good-naturedly at her. Rainbreeze nodded, meeting Nightnose's frusted amber eyes as she began to speak. "You have no claws?" Wren glanced down at her paws before replying with shame. "You said that a cat without claws has no way to defend herself or her kits from predators." Nightnose tensed up as Rainbreeze wrapped her tail around her paws.

"Rouges would leave her for dead. After all, she can't provide for herself so why should they care. Aren't we better than them?" Rainbreeze paused. "We are clan cats, Sandstar. We take care of those who can't take care of themselves." Sandstar flicked an ear but said nothing. "Would you expect me to hunt for myself while I'm nursing kits?" Nightnose glanced away.

 _That's his litter. He wouldn't dream of doing that!_ "If we send her out by herself then she will die, there is no doubt about that." Rainbreeze tilted her chin up, her eyes sparking with fury. Her beautiful face scanned the crowd of cats who swarmed around the camp. "I don't want blood on my paws. Do you all?"

Sandstar sighed, ears flattened to his head. "Then you will be in charge of her watching, Rainbreeze. I can't condemn innocent lives to die when we can prevent." Nightnose looked as shocked as Owlpaw felt. He stared at his mate, and then glanced back to his leader. Rainbreeze only shrugged, meeting her mates amber gaze evenly. Was that defiance? Or teasing? Rainbreeze had always spoke what she thought, and Owlpaw could remember at her ceremony that she had hoped to have the grey warrior for a mentor. Now though she was grateful she had even-tempered Finchsong. "Get her settled into the nursery." With that the regal leader turned tail and padded into his den.

Wren had stopped shivering now, and Rainbreeze placed a paw on her shoulder. "Can you belive that?" Owlpaw snapped at Beepaw. Beepaw shrugged. "All this means for us is that we need to go on more hunting patrols." Beepaw eyed Wren, silently judging. "They both look like they're about to pop soon." Owlpaw sighed, resting her head on her paws. "At least Strikekit and Sleekkit will be able to lend their paws." Beepaw murmered.

"More kits mean more warriors." Owlpaw found herself saying, and she had heard it repeated half a dozen times from many different warriors. Beepaw rolled over onto her back, her white fur flattened. "More _clanborn_ kits." Beepaw gave a loud purr, one filled with amusement at Owlpaw's comment. Owlpaw watched silently as Rainbreeze led the kittypet into the nursery, disbeilf running underneath her pelt.

"Sandstar!" A voice yowled as a unusual grey pelt streaked into camp. Spikepaw?

"Intruder!" Nightnose launched himself toward the apprentice, shouldering the tom roughly. Spikepaw took a step away from the deputy, and his fear scent was so strong that Owlpaw could smell it from across the camp.

"Please," The tom begged, his eyes wide. "We need Silverfeather! Leechpaw fell over the cliffs and he has leeches stuck in his fur." Spikepaw's yowling woken what few cats weren't already awake. A grey she-cat brushed past Owlpaw and Beepaw, fur matted with sleep from the apprentice den.

"Spikepaw? What are you doing here?" Flintpaw called, eyes suddenly wide with emotion. Owlpaw rose to her paws, studying Flintpaw's sudden chance of demonor. The grey she-cat was tense, eyes fixated on Slateclan tom, and her tail flicked side to side slowly as in entrance.

Spikepaw's eyes brightened, but he turned to Nightnose. Nightnose let out a deep growl, jostling him with a heavy paw. "Silverfeather!" With a grunt, Silverfeather stalked out of the medicine cat den yawning.

Silverfeather's fur was littered with herbs, and her eyes were dark as Spikepaw recounted the story. "I can go," Silverfeather nodded to Nightnose, "If you allow me." Nightnose's fur bristled along his spine. Nightnose rolled his amber eyes, his long tail lashing. His growl rumbled in his throat, and he unseathed his claws.

"Go if you want!" Nightnose hissed, angryily turning away from them. "I'm not the leader." He stalked away from Silverfeather and Spikepaw, disappearing into the forest. Flintpaw's ears drooped. Owlpaw let out a snort as Silverfeather walked through the barrier, Spikepaw trotting on his heels.

"How dare she?" Owlpaw unseathed her claws into the soil. Flintpaw flattened her ears, annoyance lighting her gaze, pursing her jaws. "She leaves her post, and is going to help Slateclan! They have like three medicince cats!" Owlpaw ranted, sitting oh her haunches.

Annoyance flared underneath Owlpaw's pelt, making it fluff out like a pinecone. "Rainbreeze could have her kits any moment," Flintpaw rolled her eyes. "And Silverfeather goes running off." Flintpaw brushed past the brown mottled she-cat, letting out a low rumble.

"Sometimes I forget you aren't clanborn,Owlpaw." Flintpaw smugly said, amber eyes glinting in the half light of the apprentice den. "Because true clanborn cats know that one life is as important as any other." Owlpaw bristled, gritting her teeth. "But I suppose that a _kittypet_ wouldn't know that."

~Dragonblaze~

 _Her sight was limited by a distinctive greenish tom, his striped fur smelling of dust and blood. She was half the size of him, her legs not having their slenderness she now had as a warrior. "Thistlestar, I don't apologize for what I've done." The tom's voice was similar to a soft breeze. "I'm not willing to kill rouges that trespass, no matter what you say. That she-cat took no prey, and left when I asked her too. The problem was solved with no bloodshed. I don't see why you're angry with me."_

 _"Dragonpaw, get away from Greengrass." Her leaders amber orbs tunneled into Dragonpaw's, same as the shining sun. They burned like dying stars. " He's a traitor!" Dragonpaw slid away from her mentor, standing a tail length away. Thistlestar was the one she feared more, and she knew that her place in the clan was already on thin ice._

 _She was the half-breed kit of Thistlestar's son, Creekrush, and knew that Ruinclan had no tolerance anymore for her kind. Thistlestar was angrier than she had had seen him, his fur matted and drool flinging from his jaws. White foam drizzled from his lips as he spat at his deputy. Fear running beneath her pelt, she took a step farther away from Greengrass. Greengrass gave her a sideways glance, his green eyes worried not for himself- but for her._

 _"Have you lost your battle skills?" Thistlestar jeered, his claws digging into the grass. "I made a mistake naming you my deputy if you can't follow simple orders." Greengrass met Thistlestar's gaze evenly, green meeting amber. The deputy stayed cool, his fur smooth and flattened. "That she-cat you spared—she'll be back. She will eat our prey, harm our apprentices, and spy on us and sell our secrets to our enemies for prey and a cushy nest." Thistlestar lashed his tail, smiling._

 _Greengrass tensed. "I don't believe that it will go that far." He said. Thistlestar let out a rough laugh, his eyes narrowed. "Ruinclan does not tolerate traitors, Greengrass. I made that clear when I offered to make you my deputy." Dragonpaw knew better to speak up what she really wanted to say—that Greengrass was a fantastic mentor, a loyal deputy that the clan respected, one that the clan secretly hoped would level Thistlestar's legendary temper._

 _Thistlestar launched himself toward Greengrass. White claws slashed across the deputy's ear, tearing it down to the skull. "Dragonpaw!" Greengrass leapt farther away from his apprentice, green eyes fearful. "Get out of the way." Thistlestar let out snort, raising onto his back paws, lashing a claw over Greengrass's eye. He let out a shriek. Greengrass reared up, meeting the muscular leader with claws open._

 _"I do not tolerate traitors!" Thistlestar roared as Greengrass knocked him to the ground. "Take notes Dragonpaw!" Greengrass's eyes blazed. White claws met his throat, tearing fur and muscle. "Leave her out of this." He gurgled, blood bubbling at Greengrass's lips. Greengrass slumped across Thistlestar, who heaved him off with a snort, shaking blood from his fur._

 _Thistlestar's amber eyes met Dragonpaw's. "Your new mentor will be Russetclaw." With a broad paw he kicked dust onto Greengrass's pelt. Blood leaked from the dead deputy's throat into the slushy grass and snow mixture below his corpse. "He will teach you more than this traitor ever could." Thistlestar flicked his tail, turning away to disappear into the trees._

 _"Take care of my son, Dragonpaw." The sweet scent of fresh grass filled her nose, and then faded._

Dragonblaze felt herself being shook awake, only feeling the prick of the unseen cats claws. Sweat soaked through her pelt, and it was knotted as if she had been thrashing around in her nest. She never winced at the taste of the salt on her fur as she lapped at her silver and gold pelt. Wolfmoon glanced at her, retracting his paw from his friend.

She was the youngest warrior to be given their warrior name, given it at only ten moons when the normal in these clans was twelve to thirteen. Some even had to go longer than that, but she had somehow gained Thistlestar's favor. Strange, since his own children he could barely stand. Even more so since she was a half-breed born to a wandering rouge, and Thistlestar hated all rouges, loners, and kittypets with a passion.

Wolfmoon's amber eyes flashed in the darkness of the warrior den. "You have to watch the camp, and weed out traitors." A tone of disgust laced his low voice. Gently lapping at her ears, he sighed. It was well known that Thistlestar was paranoid, and the daily search of traitors within the clan was a fruitless task. No cat would dare betray Ruinclan, but inside a few were probably being pushed to their breaking point.

"I never get a hunting patrol anymore." Dragonblaze snapped, her tailtip lashing. "I'm tired of this stupid busy work he assigns me. It's a waste of time." She rose to her paws, claws pricking at the moss that lined her nest. A gasp rose from the back of the den, and swivilng her ears behind her.

"You can't say that!" A ginger and white warrior protested. "Thistlestar know what's best for us." Dragonblaze rolled her eyes, her face showing no emotion. Wolfmoon stifled a chuckle at Gingerbloom's shocked tone as he followed his friend out of the den.

Dragonblaze flicked her tail over his ear, as friendly as she could be with him. Her emerald almond eyes surveyed the camp with a bored expression she took in every detail no matter how small. She leapt up onto the Guard stone by the entrance, her claws leaving white scraps in the dark stone.

The leaders den was a pile of branches, woven with ivy and brambles to strengthen the gaps, it sat off to the right of the maple tree that sat the edge of the camp. Farther down from the leader's den was a large bramble set that surrounded a wild raspberry bush, where the warriors slept.

Not very far from the warrior den, a old birch tree had fallen and the warriors had woven a thicket of ivy, branches and brambles to make a safe den to raise lots of litters of kits. Across the camp, on the other side of maple tree there was a large pile of rocks that a spring bubbled out of. Water gushed off the stones, and it drizzled into a small pool. Beside the small pool a log had lodged into the ground, and all of it except from the entrance was buried with dirt, so it made a large hill on that side of camp.

That was where medicine cat den was, and Lilacleaf slept. On the farther end of the hill, another pile of branches pokes out of the soil and that was where the elders' lived. Ivy was wove around the branches to make the den warmer and fill in the gaps. The apprentices den was next to that, under a large jutting branch that lead to a smaller clearing that was through a maze of twigs. Within the clearing it sprouted soft green ferns that apprentices used to line their nests.

Birds chirped overhead, and the exposed sky was bright blue, and a few clouds drifted lazily along on the breeze. Longing pricked in her belly, Greengrass always loved days like this. Antlerstrike was repairing the heather barrier around camp with Salmonpaw, who chattered almost loud as the birds. Two large dark red stones marked the entrance to camp, and the two guards could see into the camp and out into the forest from the stones.

Dragonblaze watched lazily as Grasskit scuffled with Leopardkit and was pinned beneath the larger tom. Grasskit was Greengrass's only kit. Hushed whispers came from the nursery, but they were quickly silenced as Russetclaw stalked out of the nursery. He so tall that his head scratched the entrance, raking his fur into stripes. With a graceful leap he took his place on the stone opposite to Dragonblaze.

"Your future apprentice was born last night." He grunted, his one good eye shooting daggers at the nursery. Dragonblaze flicked an ear but said nothing. Russetclaw was like an adopted father to her. Creekrush had never stood up as a father figure and prefers to ignore her existence. Odd, considering Dragonblaze was all that was left of his dead mate. As a kit Dragonblaze had realized that the tom blamed her for Mhysa's death.

Her mother had named her after a old story that her mother had told her, of monsters that flew in the sky. Dragons. Most cats just assumed that she was named after the metallic green and iridescent purple dragonflies that darted over the territory. Two cats beside her knew the truth, Lilacleaf and her father.

"Frostfoot still hates you, I assume." Dragonblaze replied coolly. Russetclaw sighed, scrapping a long claw over the reddish granite that matched his fur. Thistlestar had made a forced pairing of Frostfoot and Russetclaw, who absolutely despised each other. Russetclaw had been cordial with the unstable, lazy she-cat. Most cats hated her, she was angry and bitter. Rumors had circulated that Frostfoot would be leaving once their litter was born. Dragonblaze assumed that it would be even sooner now, just because there was one kit.

"His name is Chillkit." Russetclaw replied, ignoring her comment. That confirmed Dragonblaze's suspicions. "She doesn't like him and was trying to convince Sagestone to nurse him." Dragonblaze couldn't help but to feel sorry for the little tom. It was better to have a dead mother who could have possibly cared than a live mother who hated you.

"Chillkit is a good name. Better than Dragon anyway." She scrapped her claws on the stone, crossing them over the ones she had made previously. Russetclaw nodded, his one yellow eye following Lionstrike around the clearing. "I thought that Grasskit was to be my apprentice."

Russetclaw grunted at her comment, biting back a chuckle. His eyes flashed at the deputy flicked an ear in greeting at the two gaurds. Dragonblaze and about every other cat in the clan knew that the ginger tom and the deputy were rivals, and most of that rivalry was on Russetclaw's side. Lionstrike was cheerful, mature and hardly realized that it was a rivalry. He seemed to think that they were both the best of friends.

"Lionstrike wants him." The golden tom had a soft spot for the kit without a father present, maybe it was because the tom himself was an orphan. Dragonblaze could only assume. Besides if the way the greenish furred kit hid from every scuffle and never fought back, it could be assumed that it was that he was a coward. He wouldn't last long. _There is no room in Ruinclan for cowards. Not anymore._

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Authors note: So we have heard about three clans, and the next one will have the a Pov from Calicopaw and a gathering. Who is your favorite couple? What do you think? Who is your favorite character? ~Fallingfrost**


End file.
